Flag football is a less complicated version of tackle football. It is often played at the intramural level by high school and college students, and also at the youth level. In flag football, players wear cloth strips 18 to 24 inches long tucked into their waistbands, or affixed with Velcro to a belt worn around the wait. Instead of tackling the player with the ball, the goal is to pull off one of the strips to end the play.
Game Time
Flag football games consist of two 18-minute running time halves. The final two minutes of the second half will be played in stop time, meaning the clock will stop for incomplete passes, out-of-bounds plays, penalties, and injuries. The only time the clock will stop during the previous 34 minutes is for an injury or a timeout. Each team gets two timeouts per half. If a team does not use its timeouts in the first half, they do not carry over to the second half. Halftime is two minutes long. Teams have 25 seconds between plays to snap the ball.
Field Dimensions
The flag football field is 60 yards long by 40 yards yards. There is also a 10-yard end zone on both ends of the field. The 60-yard field is divided into three sections. The team has four downs to move from one 20-yard section to the next to gain a first down. If the team does not get a first down or a touchdown, the opponent gains possession of the ball.
Blocking and Hitting
Players are allowed to block in flag football. However, all blocks must be executed above the waist, and from the front. Any lower-body block is illegal and shall be penalized. While you may not tackle your opponent when he has the ball, you may grab him and hold him in an attempt to pull the strip from his waistband. The ball carrier may not shield the tackler from pulling the flag, or use his free hand to push the defender's hand away from the flag. However, he can use his free hand to deliver a stiff arm to the tackler's upper body.
Forward Pass
All players are eligible to catch a forward pass. Interior linemen may stay close to the line of scrimmage to block, or they may go out for a pass. Players may lateral the ball an unlimited number of times on a particular play. The quarterback may not hand the ball back to the center immediately after the exchange in an attempt to fool the defense.
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